Children's home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 1 SC467796 Registered provider: Birtenshaw Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children may have an autism spectrum disorder, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home was registered in November 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2021 Full Good 09/10/2019 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 11/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable and welcoming. Each child has been consulted about how their room is decorated and the rooms reflect the children’s personal choices. There is a comfortable sitting room and a very well-equipped playroom. The garden area has been renovated, and staff have been creative and incorporated many features that will offer sensory stimulation to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a stable and experienced core staff team. The manager uses agency staff regularly, but ensures that there is always a group of core staff on duty at the same time. Children know the staff who are looking after them and enjoy spending time with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children play alongside each other and can have their own space if they want it. Each child has their own individual plan and independence goals, which are regularly reviewed and updated. This means that the manager and staff are consistently supporting the children to progress and learn new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend school every day. Staff work with school staff and share information about the children. School staff are very complimentary about the manager and staff. One school staff said, ‘Communication is perfect.’ This enables the staff to provide the children with consistent care and helps children to feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their families. This support has enabled the children to maintain family relationships. This is important for children, as it helps them retain a sense of identity and belonging. Parents are satisfied with the care that their children are given. They visit their children regularly and are made to feel welcome in the home. A parent said, ‘[Name of child] has come on leaps and bounds. I can’t praise them [the staff] enough. They are, thumbs up, A-star, perfect.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children in this home are kept safe, and there are comprehensive risk assessments for each child. These assessments are subject to formal review twice a year. If a new potential risk emerges, it is analysed and added to the risk assessment. There is a system in place to ensure that all staff are kept informed of any changes to the children’s risks and records.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been a small number of physical restraints since the last inspection. These have been appropriate and recorded in detail. The manager has analysed each of these incidents and ensures that there is learning from each one.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff work hard to understand children’s behaviours and the challenges of their sensory needs. Staff are aware of potential triggers for children and, therefore, can Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 4 prevent most challenging behaviours. This helps children to remain calm, which will help them feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home has effective links with social workers, local authority designated officers and other safeguarding agencies. Social workers are pleased with the communication they have with the home. A social worker said, ‘Staff are very welcoming, supportive and accommodating.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff had not completed the medication sheet for two children correctly, which could have led to confusion and the possibility of the children being given medication twice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the staff and the children in the home very well. She is clear about the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The home has a stable and permanent group of staff. Staff say that the manager is supportive and approachable. Having a stable group of staff benefits the children, as they will have staff around them who they know and feel comfortable with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high ambitions for the children’s progress. The manager supports staff to enable them to carry out their work to a good standard. Staff are offered regular, supportive supervision. They are given specific training to ensure that they are informed about how to meet the needs of the children in their care. Children benefit from being looked after by adults who understand how to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring systems in place to help ensure that the quality of children’s care, including the safety of the home, is checked regularly. The manager ensures that children’s care plans are up to date and appropriate for each child. When plans are not up to date, the manager challenges the local authority to ensure that children have the right plans to meet their needs. This ensures that children’s progress is understood and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When children move in or out of the home, the manager ensures that a detailed and sensitive transition takes place to help them feel settled and secure with the changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager does not critically evaluate or offer an analysis of how the children’s outcomes can improve on the review of quality-of-care report. This means that it is difficult to know how future outcomes can be improved for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 5

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Statutory requirement

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff follow protocols when administering children’s medicines to avoid mistakes being made. 30 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when completing the review of the quality of care report, they are critically evaluating the service that they are offering and consider how outcomes for children can be further improved. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 6 and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, Bolton BL7 9AB

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC467796 8 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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